2020 Bow Season

Anyone jacked up for the Minnesota bow season yet? Only a little over two weeks out. Nice thing is I am lucky enough to hunt Wisconsin opener now too which is a week earlier! Ready for sometime in the tree.

My buddy is getting married on MN bow opener….
DT

Oh I’m ready!

New strings
Hha optimizer
Rifle mounted rangefinder.

Not that it didn’t shoot tacs before.

I’m getting ready, in fact, I was just out at the range tonight. Pretty crowded this time of year.

No new gear this year, but I did buy a 3D buck target for a little more realistic practice.

Last year I got firsthand view of just what “jump the string” means. One of the benefits of lighted nocks is that I could see exactly how many feet I missed by as the arrow sailed past. Here’s hoping for a better and closer shot this year.

Good luck everybody.

Grouse

I’m pumped. Only one buck on my mind. Set up a ground blind intersepting a trail he’s been using alot. Shot arrows out of it last night. I feel pretty good about this setup. It’s off a trail my folks have been walking alot, so he seems slightly tolerant of scent and activity. Hoping to get one more stand up this week. I’ll be out opening morning!

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Oh I’m ready!

New strings
Hha optimizer
Rifle mounted rangefinder.

Not that it didn’t shoot tacs before.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Oh I’m ready!

What does a set up like that actually shoot actually out too?

I just ask because I still shoot a compound bow?

Oh, I’m ready. Picked up 3 more stands to hang this weekend.

deertracker wrote:

My buddy is getting married on MN bow opener….
DT

That sounds like the guy that never buys the beer….

riverruns wrote:

I just ask because I still shoot a compound bow?

He’s in Prescott, WI so using a crossbow is legal there during their entire archery season for the general population.

Minnesota only allows participants over 60 or with a certified disability to do so. This has been subject to debate the last several years and has been close to coming up in the legislature.

I don’t archery hunt, but if MN allowed it like Wisconsin and Michigan does, I would consider it.

Counting down the days! I take the first week of the season off work to chase the elusive public land bruisers. I get a brief window to go after the bucks I watch all summer. By the second week of the season the hunting pressure screws things up pretty bad on many of the properties I hunt.

gimruis wrote:

He’s in Prescott, WI so using a crossbow is legal there during their entire archery season for the general population.

Good ol gimruis making false assumptions again on my part.

I don’t hunt Wisconsin!
I have a disability permit to use crossbow in mn. Two torn rotator cuff I never repaired.

riverruns wrote:

What does a set up like that actually shoot actually out too?

What is ethical hunting range or how far can you shoot?
I’ve shot groups out to 110 yds… some play further!

For hunting, at 398 fps my goal is to stay under 47yd shots for jumping string. To me that is ethical. I’ve also broken my own rules once, but luckily 2/2 with a crossbow and 1/1 with a compound. (I don’t like to miss!!)

I did press my luck last Christmas on a Buck at 70 yds however. I had my reasoning albeit right or wrong. Buck Ran 60yds and piled up. Same distance as the doe at 11yds I got last year. I don’t intend to shoot that far ever again if possible. Good kill but deer move during arrow flight. Love my grim reaper broadheads.

I actually added the rifle rangefinder for ground hunting on featureless terrain so can let them get in closer than 50. Hard to be sitting in absolute open terrain and use hand held rangefinder.
I can operate the rangefinder and wheel with only my thumb, so no detectable movement. Lots of thought went into making that possible. Im going to do lots more ground hunting this year.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Good ol gimruis making false assumptions again on my part.

I don’t hunt Wisconsin!
I have a disability permit to use crossbow in mn. Two torn rotator cuff I never repaired.

My bad. Still a nice crossbow regardless.

Yes, I’m fired up! I’ve held off for the past 3 years and shot one during the gun season. This is the year I get one with my bow!

Nope. Was all fired up, until we had a weird die off this last year. Went from have 20 or so deer at a time in our fields to maybe 1 or 2. Trail cams are empty. No sense in shooting deer when there isn’t any around

Like FBRM I’m pumped and shooting a Ravin due to shoulder issues (my shoulder got replaced). My R10 is dialed in out to 80 yards off of a rest, but I’ll be keeping it under 60. Even at 80 yards I wouldn’t recommend shooting at the same target!

FBRM what’s the thought process for the HHA? Love that gun mount range finder, I’ve been practicing with mine hanging from my neck and it’s not ideal.

Got my bow pretty well finished finally.

got a new arrow rest, went with a whisker biscuit
new field tips
new broad heads
added some cat whiskers
new sight
waxed the string

I’m confident out to 30 yards but I’m going to see how she shoots at 40…but I don’t feel comfortable shooting deer yet at that range.

I won’t be wasting my MN tag on a deer this year but I’ll be out in MO and possible WI.

Just need to sharpen the ‘ol zwickeys…

BigWerm wrote:

FBRM what’s the thought process for the HHA? Love that gun mount range finder, I’ve been practicing with mine hanging from my neck and it’s not ideal.

Well two or three fold.

#1 I wasn’t impressed with the ravin scope accuracy at 60 yrs using 60yd reticle. 50 is bullseye and so is 70. But 60 not as great. I like hole in hole accuracy so I may me a little anal in that regard. In the same regard, I don’t like to shoot between reticles like 40-50 as it is just less accurate to hold over. Now I have 1 yD increments of elevation. Staying consistent with my anal accuracy I also have a level on the scope for cant accuracy.

#2 I don’t like the level of zoom when using the scope yds / speed dial. With the hha I can choose the zoom level and adjust for yardage with the hha. Or, i can ignore the hha and set scope to 398fps (chronographed) and just use the scope as intended.

#3. By adding a rifle mounted range finder zeroed to the scopes 20yd pin at infinity. I can maintain a scope hold on the target and get a yardage. I can then dope the scope with the hha and continue to see yardage with the 20yd pin and rf aligned….versus using my 20 to get range with rf and then raising crossbow to ranged pin… but then the rf will be over the target so rf would only work if aiming with 20 pin.

Obviously I put some thought into this. I’ll admit, the hardest part was fitting everything in my hard case. I ended up using quick detach in the rf so it’ll fit in the hard case. This is ok since I’ll only use the rf from ground or when hunting around featureless terrain. I typically would range landmarks. But when there are none all you’ve got is the animal to range. The ultimate goal here is to allow the deer to come into closer range, remain paper target accurate, with no movement.

Hha is simply more accurate than the ravin scope… not that the scope isn’t accurate enough for hunting as is however.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Obviously I put some thought into this

Sometimes I forget you’re an engineer but I appreciate the explanation. I’ll probably just stick with the scope and 4″ groups out to 80 yards knowing you’re out there taking it to a whole different level!

Clocks really ticking now….roughly 155 hours….

Had a buddy get a doe while we were in wisconsin. I passed on a doe with a fawn. Just too soft i guess…. A nice way to get excited for Minnesota season this weekend though!

Well MN Opener is two days out. Have my spots picked out and ready to get after it. Going to have some strong south winds at least thats what they are saying. Hopefully I see some pictures saturday!

My #1 spot is set up for our prevailing NW wind. N or even straight W would be ok. What are the odds we have a strong SSE wind?

On to spot #2.

I just moved yesterday, and have done 0 scouting by the new house, but may still try and get out.

Pailofperch wrote:

My #1 spot is set up for our prevailing NW wind. N or even straight W would be ok. What are the odds we have a strong SSE wind?

On to spot #2.

Just gotta find a way to make it work!

BigWerm wrote:

I just moved yesterday, and have done 0 scouting by the new house, but may still try and get out.

Well pitter patter better get a stand out there

Youbetcha wrote:

Well pitter patter better get a stand out there

It’s public land, so I will probably try and spot and stalk and wait until the leaves fall for the climber to come out.

Youbetcha wrote:

Just gotta find a way to make it work!

Oh don’t worry, there’s only like 100 other spots. Just so happens “HE’s” on one camera like everyday during light. #1 spot…..

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Carter Johnson wrote:</div>
Well pitter patter better get a stand out there

It’s public land, so I will probably try and spot and stalk and wait until the leaves fall for the climber to come out.

Hopefully we get a good heavy dew in the morning so it’s good and quiet walking. I’m considering doing the same thing. Just take it slow, and spend lots of time on the glass looking for bedded deer. With all of next week off work I want to check on an area in the morning I haven’t had time to scout out yet. Let the fun begin!

Pulled a card tonight on a camera I put out Tuesday in a new spot. Is it Saturday yet?

dbright wrote:

Pulled a card tonight on a camera I put out Tuesday in a new spot. Is it Saturday yet?

Less than 24 hours now

Good luck gentleman. I’ll be out in a tree Saturday morning. Only planning on pulling back on a decent buck for the first 1.5 months, then if its brown, its down (hopefully).